


It's only a date

by AlgernonInWonderland



Series: It's only some Pinescone [2]
Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics), Rick and Morty
Genre: Fluff, I don't know how amusement parks work, M/M, Maybe something Rick and Morty related? (eh, Pierogis, Rollercoasters, Scandalous hand-holding, Teenage Dorks, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, don't sweat it), wlw mlm solidarity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-09-15 18:31:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16938444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlgernonInWonderland/pseuds/AlgernonInWonderland
Summary: He’d really have to thank his sister for stealing his phone and texting his crush to ask him on a date.





	1. 1. Pierogis

As it turned out, Wirt wasn’t nearly as much of a worry-wart as Dipper had thought he would be. And he had only gotten better since they had started talking to each other three months — ninety four days, he had kept count — ago. Not that Wirt was the very image of relaxation, but if Greg was to be believed, it used to be much worse. Dipper could see that. A short, almost unbearably angsty and jumpy boy with a silly pointed hat and a cape, stressed out about everything and everyone. It was a little endearing, in a way. But Wirt didn’t like talking about his life before the Unknown, so they avoided the subject as often as they could. Which was quite often, come to think of it. 

 

Still Dipper had quickly learned not to mind that. It seemed that Wirt was growing less and less uneasy about what had happened back then, but he wasn’t ready to talk about it. It didn’t mean they’d avoid the subject for the rest of their lives, or that Great Uncle Ford and he hadn’t planned on looking into Greg and Wirt’s case, or on studying Jason Funderberker - the frog - for that matter. They would, when the boys would be ready. That could wait for now. Dipper had other things in mind anyway. Hanging out with Wirt more often, to be precise. 

 

It was nice texting the other boy, and he could do so in his room while enjoying the comfort of wearing very little in the way of pants — in fact it was exactly what Dipper was doing at the moment. They usually talked about nothing and everything, from the Adventure Zone’s last episode to sibling-handling tips. Dipper was almost sure he had sold Wirt on trying to play Grotto Legend, “the friendly RPG where nobody has to die”, so that they could nerd out about it together afterwards, and he found himself finding more interest in literature and clarinet than he had ever been before. Sometimes, they complained about their school lives. Just like now.

 

 **Wirt** : _PE is the worst, Wednesday is a terrible day and I can’t feel my legs anymore. And before you suggest it, yes, I stretched my legs and I showered. What a lousy week…_

 

Dipper chuckled as he read the message. Sometimes, that boy was way too cute. Dipper started typing an answer that might cheer Wirt up. Maybe suggesting that they hang out someday would do. Not something too precise or too assertive. Just a suggestion. Dipper was halfway through his message when— No. He must have misheard. No one had called his name. He dropped his phone with an unsatisfied breath. He couldn’t figure out what to write.

 

Dipper sat back in his chair and scratched his thigh. He’d try to think of a proper answer later, he told himself. For now, he’d resume watching his daily amount of UFO videos. If he was efficient enough, he’d have most of them debunked before—

 

“Mason, dinner’s ready!”

 

That would be for another time. Dipper put on his pants as quickly as he could and pocketed his phone. He knew Wirt wouldn’t mind waiting for an answer. He could already smell the pierogi his dad had cooked. Mabel was already in the kitchen — he hadn’t heard her at all, Grunkle Stan had probably taught her one of his techniques — with a grin on her lips and a twinkle in her eye that screamed something in the lines of “I’m going to do something you aren’t expecting and you’ll be thankful for that later but I can’t tell you anything about my plan right now otherwise it’s not going to work”. Or maybe “Boy I sure am glad we’re going to eat these delicious pierogis,” he wasn’t completely sure. Mabel ruffled his hair as he sat down. Dipper tried not to think about that devilish plan of hers too much. 

 

Dinner was delicious and everyone was in a good mood. Mrs Pines made a great impression of her manager that made Mabel choke on her drink. The pierogis were divine, of course. Dipper made a note to ask his dad the recipe before college — two more years, that’s plenty of time— and when it was time for dessert, he had almost forgotten about the potential menace that was his twin sister. Almost

 

 

“Hey, mom, dad, can we hang out with our friends from Aberdale? You know, Wirt and Greg. I was thinking this Saturday, in that new resort park, you know the one,” she said loud enough so that her brother could not interrupt her. 

 

“Why yes, darling,” Mr Pines said, “I won’t be able to drive you there but  if you take the bus then of course you can go.”

 

Mabel’s eyes sparked. “Thanks dad!”

 

Before Dipper could do anything, Mabel all but ripped her brother’s phone from his pocket, typed a message and hit the “send” icon. Dipper whimpered weakly and sunk back in his seat. His sister had written something incredibly stupid and all too straightforward, he was sure of that. And now Wirt would be weirded out. Dipper was going for a subtle approach, not a “HEYYY I WUW U LETS DATE UWU RAWR” sort of thing. And his sister still had his phone. 

 

“Mmmh, that fruit salad is excellent, don’t you think” Mrs Pines said loudly. “We’ve outdone ourselves once again, yes?”

 

Dipper reluctantly helped clear the table. His parents knew better than to ask him about what had just happened. Although Mabel never handed it back to him, Dipper found his phone vibrating in his pocket — it seemed that stealth wasn’t the only thing Grunkle Stan had taught his grandniece, and he’d have to have a few words with the old man one of these days— but he didn’t want to look at it. That would mean he’d have to read what could be Wirt’s embarrassed answer to a terribly awkward message. 

 

Dipper bade his parents goodnight, tried to ignore the worried look they gave him and went straight to his room.  He wasn’t in the mood for UFOs anymore. He’d do something, anything else, but he would certainly not look at his phone for the rest of the evening, he swore. He slammed his door and heaved an angsty sigh.

 

Dipper skimmed through his algebra homework. He did his biology homework. He tried to read a few more pages of Terry Pratchett. Hmm. Very interesting. Yes, yes. He had totally forgotten about that disastrous message, of course he had.

 

Who was he kidding? He couldn’t take it anymore, he had to see it, he had to witness the damage his sister had done. 

 

He did his best to hide Wirt’s answer with his finger the best he could. He wanted to have a look at the text Mabel had written first. He was prepared for the worse, prepared to die of cringe and die, but that… Wasn’t what he had expected at all. 

 

“ _would that make you feel better if we go somewhere together this weekend,”_ the message read. “ _i was thinking, maybe that new Blip and Chitz park? i think Greg’d like it too”_

 

Oh, his sister… Did she even know what she had just done?

 

Mabel’s bedroom door slammed open all of a sudden. To say that it startled her would have been an understatement. She almost threw her scrapbook in the air. A pair of arms wrapped behind her before she could do anything. Her brains raced. Was her brother trying to German suplex her? No, his grip was strong but that was not the good posture… A hug?

 

“Thank you so much,” Dipper said with barely contained enthusiasm. 

 

“Aw, shucks!” Mabel giggled. “You should have seen your face!”

 

“Don’t you ever pull that stunt on me again,” Dipper fake-whispered. “Awkward sibling hug, pat, pat,” he added for good measure before he let go of his sister and stormed back to his room. He couldn’t wait for Saturday. Wirt’s message read “ _I’d love to! Saturday morning when the park opens? I’ll ask my mom. That would be around 10 but we could meet later if you want?_ ” 

 

Dipper was ready for everything. Saturday would be great and nothing would go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> I couldn't leave these dorks like that… You'll see them together in the next chapter, I promise. I just believe that sibling relationships was pretty much one of the most important things in Gravity Falls. If you've read "It's only a birthday party", you know that it all takes place after GF and OtgW, the kids grew up, and it needs to show; but also that some things don't change.
> 
> Well, I'll see you in the next one!


	2. Green pebble

“Auuuugh! It’s going to be a complete disaster and I’m going to mess up everything,” Dipper moaned. “I’m all sweaty and gross, I cut myself when I tried to shave, and I should have worn a better shirt and…”

 

“Relax, bro-bro,” Mabel slurred drowsily. “It’s gonna be fine, I tell you, you’ll see. Now lemme sleep” 

 

It was a beautiful, nearly cloudless Saturday morning. The empty road stretched out before them, the sun filtering through the dirty windows of the bus. The perfect day to stay in bed. Or to go on something that may or may not be a date. 

 

They had woken up extra early so that they wouldn’t miss the bus. The ride from Piedmont to the Blip and Chitz Amusement Park had proven long enough for Mabel to fall asleep. They still had half an hour to go. And Dipper was already stressed out. He counted up to three and breathed in, then out and in again. He had faced the Apocalypse and beasts that had been out for his life. This was just a date. Not even truly a date, in fact, Dipper argued. You don’t bring your sister along for a date. And your date doesn’t come with his little brother. So, not a date. He was saved. Though he wished it were a date. Or did he? Everything was complicated. 

 

A greenish spark flew through the sky but he decided it was just a trick of the light. No oddity here. Dipper shook his head. It would be alright. He zoned out for a little while. The bus came to a stop. Dipper looked outside the window, and even though Mabel blocked the view, he could tell that was the Park’s parking lot. Mabel opened her eye right before Dipper could poke her in the arm. She muttered a small “oh, we’re there.” She blinked. “We’re there,” she said more energetically. 

 

The Blip and Chitz Amusement Park was, to put it in Dipper’s first words when he had first seen a picture of it, pretty damn big, and the parking lot was no different. There were no Wirt and Greg in sight, so the twins decided to go near the Park’s entrance, but not to close to it so. Mabel started texting someone frenetically — who, Dipper couldn’t be entirely sure — then smiled triumphantly. 

 

“Say, we didn’t buy our tickets yet, right?” she asked. “And neither did Greg and Wirt?”

 

“Wirt didn’t mention buying his tickets ahead of time so I think no-ooooof,” Dipper spluttered. Something had launched on him and almost knocked him over. Or rather someone. 

 

“Oh hi there,” Greg said with a toothy grin. There he was, sans Jason Funderburker — the frog. He ran past Dipper to greet Mabel. 

 

“Hello Greg,” Dipper said weakly. It was no wonder Mabel and the little boy got along so well. Together, they would be the end of him. “Wait. Greg is here. Which means—”

 

“Greg? Greg?”

 

That voice was unmistakable even though Dipper had only heard it once or twice over the last few months. There he was, elegant as always with his light-blue shirt, waving around so that his little brother could spot him. He looked a bit silly doing so. And quite adorable if you had to ask a certain boy. Wirt’s face split into a wide smile when he spotted Dipper and he walked a little faster to join the the small group. 

 

 “H-hey,” Wirt said, standing perfectly still in front of Dipper, scratching the nape off his neck. It seemed that the boy never stopped growing up, he was at least one or two inches taller than the last time they had seen each other. Wait, why did he even remember such details?

 

“Hi,” Dipper replied. He didn’t know what to do with his hands. Should he hug Wirt? Should they shake hands? He didn’t know what to say. At all. Or rather he had too many things to say. Maybe acting like Dippy Fresh would make things better? No, of course not. He had the gut feeling that something was not quite right with this park. He ignored it. Not that it helped him coming up with anything to say. His mind raced. He had to say something. Not something about the weather. Something else. Oh god. He almost blurted, “had a nice trip?”

 

An awkward silence fell between the two boys. Dipper’s heartbeat was a tad faster than it usually was. He looked slightly to the side, not quite meeting the other boy’s eyes. Wirt’s cheeks were slightly redder than their usual shade. One more thing Dipper had remembered, the shade of the other boy’s cheeks. It couldn’t get any sillier now, could it? Texting each other was much easier than meeting each other, Dipper thought to himself. It had been so easy to dance with him back then, but now random thoughts were plaguing him. Foolish thoughts. Dangerous thoughts. Gladly, he was saved from them.

 

“Y-yeah, it was alright,” Wirt replied at last. “It’s nice to get out of town from time to time… About that—Greg, is everything alright?”

 

Greg was on all fours, Mabel had crouched down next to him. They seemed to be staring at what appeared to be an oddly shaped pebble, the size of a pea. The pebble was glowing a sickly green. The duo turned back to Wirt and Dipper, and Mabel gestured towards her twin’s backpack. Greg joined his brother as Dipper took out a pair of tweezers out of his bag. He picked up the pebble, his hand very still as he did so, and put the small object in a small lead box. To Wirt, he looked very much like a professional who had done this who knows how many time before. Watching Dipper study the small object with his pocket magnifier was impressive, and quite captivating, to say the least. 

 

Mabel and her brother whispered frantically to themselves, and neither Greg nor Wirt could hear what they were saying. Greg thought he had heard them talk about a certain “Mister Sanchez” once or twice, but his brother was not so sure. In the end, it seemed that the Mystery Twins (they really deserved the name, Wirt reflected) had come to an agreement in the end. Mabel took the small box and shoved it in her handbag. 

 

“Sorry for worrying you, everything’s under control now,” Dipper said and smiled weakly at Wirt. 

 

“Let’s get inside that park now, shall we?” Mabel added helpfully. 

 

The entrance to the Blip and Chitz Amusement Park was quite impressive to say the least. Whoever had designed it must have been quite fond of retrofuturist vibes, the bulky plastic pillards with blinking lights looked straight out of a bad space opera. It was a weird place, Dipper thought to himself. Not surprising that they’d found Sanchez’s waste here. Mabel ran to the ticket office, showed the employee her phone and flashed her small group a million-watt smile. 

 

“No need to look for your wallet, Wirt, my girlfriend is treating us today,” Mabel said. She strolled away before the boys could say anything. Greg ran after her immediately. And left Wirt and Dipper alone again.

 

“So… W-what was that thing on the parking lot?” Wirt asked all too quickly. Congratulation, that ought to be a good ice-breaker, a bluebird quipped in his head. 

 

Dipper’s eyes lit up immediately. “You really want to know?… I’m not sure I can tell you that one just yet, but I can tell you how we usually handle those things, Mabel and me, if that’s OK with you. So, it all started when…”

 

The rest of their conversation was lost in the crowd. By the time the couple — not a couple, Dipper thought to himself, not yet at least— stopped in front of the first amusement ride Greg had chosen for them, a swing ride, the two boys were chuckling. The subject of their conversation had changed completely in their way there.

 

“… and then Jason Funderburker, the frog, that is, jumped at Bryan’s face when he was his turn to perform the monologue, you should have heard him making that ‘screeeeeee’ sort of sound, Mrs Longbirch thought it was very expressive,” Wirt said, miming the scene as he told it. Dipper snorted and Wirt sobered up. “I don’t know if you’d enjoy it, but I really like these acting classes. Oh, I think it’s our turn.”

 

They put their bags in the rack the security person showed them, and sat next to each other on the chairs. The chains dangled a little, but neither of them seem too worried. The constant noise behind them indicated that Greg and Mabel were probably… behind them. It was good, it was all very good.

 

And then the top of the carousel started tilting and turning and Greg started laughing. It was alright. A family-friendly warmup. Until it started spinning faster and faster and suddenly Dipper understood why they had to leave their important stuff in that box. Candy wrappers escaped from Greg’s pockets.What even was this park? Dipper let himself be carried by the sheer power of the carousel’s momentum and closed his eyes. It was more than alright, he decided, the perfect first ride.  

 

He had the feeling that Wirt was watching him. His hear raced and he knew it wasn’t because of he amusement ride’s speed. Still, he kept his eyes closed and enjoyed the feel of the rushing air on his skin. At last the carousel slowed down and came to a stop. Dipper opened his eyes when his feet touched the ground and jumped out of his swing chair. 

 

Dipper held out his hand to help Wirt out of his seat. Wirt hesitated for a second that felt like an eternity to Dipper, enough for the boy to wonder if he had done something wrong, enough for him to think that he had been too straightforward.  But Wirt took Dipper’s hand in his as he got up from his seat, gently yet firmly. It was only later, when they joined Mabel and a bright-eyed Greg, that they noticed that neither of them had let go of the other’s hand. Wirt stole a glance at Dipper. A foolish yet courageous idea sparked inside his head.

 

Wirt did something that surprised the two boys. Hesitantly, he intertwined their fingers. Dipper’s breath hitched in his throat, his stomach… He couldn’t quite describe it but it felt both terribly disorienting and… Alright? No, it was more than alright. Dipper didn’t look at Wirt, but he squeezed his hand a little harder.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this update!  
> If everything goes accordingly to plan there should be one more chapter, but if I suddenly write more than that… Well you never know. I try not to be too silly, and avoid rose-coloured glasses while still being fluffy. I don't know if I'm doing it right but I swear I'm trying.
> 
> Trying to use an American English vocabulary when you've grown used to writing with a British spelling and vocabulary and whatnot is weird. And I'm not even British. 
> 
> Your feedback is very much welcome, consider leaving a comment or a kudo, but then again I can't tell you what to do…
> 
> I'll see you in the next chapter!


	3. Cake and Sanchez's grandson

The early afternoon sun shone brightly on four very hungry young folks, a drenched kid leading the way and three equally wet teenagers dragging behind him. The Blip and Chitz Amusement Park was not known for its subtlety when it came to naming its many rollercoasters. For instance, the “Big Splash” was exactly what you could expect it to be.

 

The quartet found two benches and a picnic table conveniently place next to a flashy cafeteria. Rather than getting inside the kitschy building, they simply sat there. It would be no use spending some extra money for some mediocre, overpriced meal that you’d sorely regret later when you’ve brought your own food. Dipper prided himself on being such a strategic mind sometimes. They started unpacking their things.

 

“I made too much cake, do you,” Wirt’s voice almost cracked as he put the aforementioned cake on the table, “do you want some?”

 

“Heck yeah,” Mabel said, “don’t mind me if I do!” She cut herself a nice slice of pesto and pine nut cake and swallowed it whole in one go. “Boy, that was some cake if I’ve ever seen one! What a nice cake that was! What a great cake! Something something cake, I’ve ran out of thing to say! Get me out of this fan fiction!” 

 

“Errr,” Dipper didn’t quite meet Wirt’s eyes. Was Mabel trying to make things less awkward? Sometimes, he liked it better when she stole his phone and sent messages to his crush than when she tried to be funny and ended up saying sprouting disturbing truths about the fabric of their universe instead. “If you baked it,” he said,  “I may as well try it…” 

 

They had decided that 3PM was still a socially acceptable time to have lunch. They weren’t even that tired,  Dipper had progressively managed to not care too much about the place’s weird architecture and odd planning (if someone had asked him to describe the place, he would have made a poor job of it); instead he tried to enjoy Wirt’s company. This was going way better than he had planned.

 

“Mmmh, that’s awesome!” Dipper all but blurted. 

 

Wirt heaved a relieved sigh. Dipper didn’t need to know that it had taken him quite a few tries to get the recipe right, he had even bribed Greg to make sure he wouldn’t give it away. Besides, the young boy was too busy eating carrot sticks to reveal anything too compromising. 

 

“There’s more of it if you want, here” Wirt said, but stopped hallways through his sentence. “But you mentioned that Golden Arrow ride and it looks quite intimidating so maybe too much cake is a bad idea.” 

 

“You’re probably right…” Dipper mumbled thoughtfully. “You’ll send me the recipe, if it’s OK with you?”

 

Wirt simply nodded with a faint smile on his lips. The conversation lulled, but not uncomfortably so. They finished their meal, with Dipper making sure to be as elegant as he could possibly be white eating his sandwich and Greg wolfing down an impressive amount of cookies in a matter of seconds. Mabel absentmindedly texted someone —who, Dipper could only guess— and frowned at her phone an awful lot.

 

“Let’s get going, y’all!” she finally said, with forced mirth. “We only have a couple of hours left to do everything we still want to do! Or… We can stay here and you get to be cute together. The glow-rock situation has been solved, by the way, they’ll have someone pick it up in about five, ten minutes, they’ll text me. Just so that you know, they’re sending _him_.”

 

Dipper groaned and muttered something under his breath that was certainly not suited for the ears of a child, along the lines of “oh, that’s friggin great”.

 

They all repacked their things in silent, Dipper more forcefully so than was normally required. His shoulders were too tensed, and he could feel Wirt’s worried glance on him. It was meant to be a fun day, maybe even a date. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to punch something or to ask for a hug. Finally, all their things were back in their bags, 

 

“C’mon, brother o’ mine, look at that merry-go-round!” Greg dragged Wirt by his arm. And Wirt reluctantly followed him, his eyes not leaving Dipper for as long as he could. The boy with the cap tried to smile reassuringly but it didn’t quite work. Mabel’s phone buzzed. She put an arm around Dipper’s shoulders.

 

“And now we wait, he won’t take long,” Mabel said. “I know he can be a jerk but we can make it quick and then we don’t have to see him for some time, just let me handle the talking OK?” 

 

And indeed, it didn’t take long for a sickly green portal to pop out of nowhere. A boy wearing a yellow t-shirt and a mildly bored expression on his face stepped out of it and the portal closed.

 

“Pines!” he raised his eyebrows to fake surprise.

 

“Smith,” Mabel replied in a stiff tone.

 

“What the -what the fuck are the two of you doing here? Whatever, just give me the damn thing.”

 

Oh god, could he possibly have a whinier tone of voice, could he wave his hands around even more? That would give Dipper the perfect motive for a murder. And the twins knew that it was mostly an act to annoy them. He had probably grown out of that awkward phase long ago. 

 

“Knock yourself out,” Mabel said with fake cheer and she threw the box at Morty Smith’s face. He barely caught it before it made contact with his nose. “And tell Summer we said hi!”

 

“Yeah yeah… Hey, can I hang out with you guys until I really have to go back? I… I… It’s a place for kids but…”

 

Dipper clenched his fist. Of course Great Uncle Ford’s friend’s grandson had to be the most insufferable person ever. Not because he wanted to hang out with them but because that would be the perfect excuse to show how he hated this job as a delivery boy. He didn’t care one bit about the Pines, never had, really. And he was way too jaded for a teenager wearing a yellow t-shirt. Maybe being detoxified could do him good

 

“Hey, Dipper dude, a-a-are you a mute? That’s new.”

 

It was that voice, how utterly grating Morty made it sound on purpose. Rick Sanchez would be able to fix the boy’s nose in a matter of seconds, Dipper reflected. The crowd hadn’t noticed the portal, so decking someone in the face didn’t seem like an impossible task. 

 

“Excuse me, we’re… Sort of the middle… Of a date here… Could you please go back to wherever you came from?” a voice rang out behind them. 

 

Dipper heart skipped a beat. He didn’t need to look around  to know who had spoken these words. His face felt very hot all of a sudden. But he kept looking at Morty nonetheless and the boy stared back at Dipper quizzically for a few seconds. He connected the dots fairly easily and his face changed, his frown disappeared slightly. He seemed… Less hostile?

 

“Aw geez, look at the time! See you someday I guess, Pines,” he said with a much easier to stand voice as he fired the portal gun and vanished from the amusement park. 

 

Dipper made sure the portal had disappeared before he turned around. Mabel had stars in her eyes and looked like she was keeping herself from screeching, Greg was glaring daggers at the portal and then there was Wirt. He was still a little out of breath —he must have ran to join the twins—, a little red in the face. It wasn’t just it. He seemed… Afraid? Bashful? Nervous?

 

Dipper knew what was coming, he knew that beautiful idiot was going to splutter an apology for having assumed that it wasn’t a date. He wouldn’t let him take it back. I like him, Dipper thought, I really do but sometimes he can be even more dense than I am. Hadn’t they established that it was a date when they had held hands and shared cake and laughed together?

 

He ran to Wirt before he could open his mouth and wrapped him in a hug. 

 

“It _is_ a date, dummy,” he murmured. “You did great, I mean it. Knowing that you feel that way, you standing up for us…  It makes me very happy. That was… Kinda hot?”

 

Dipper was very glad Wirt couldn’t see his face at the moment. Not only had his voice cracked, he had also turned red as a beetroot halfway through his sentence.  “I’m really bad at flirting… Anyway… Hum… Thank you for being here. I’m glad we’re… Here, and I’m glad it’s a date.” 

 

“Hmmm…”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“Hmmmm…”

 

Wirt slid his arms around Dipper’s waist, carefully, slowly. It felt… Warm. It felt good and dizzying, a little scary, even. It felt right. Neither of them tried to speak after that. There was no use for that just now. It was a date then. A weird, messy date, with their siblings tagging along, but still a date. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me that long to update… I was busy with many things, none of which are very interesting or fun but all of them quite time-consuming.
> 
> There'll be one last chapter and I think I'll be done with this fic! (and it's already been written, for almost a month, just have to correct some more things for it to be as good as I want it to be)
> 
> The green pebble wasn't entirely gratuitous after all! I needed Wirt to help Dipper, maybe not the exact same way Dipper had helped him in _It's only a birthday party _but I needed something. These two have been texting for a couple of months, probably Skyped too (assuming GF took place in 2012, and that our turtledoves are… 17? Skype was still a thing) but that's about it.__
> 
>  
> 
> _  
> _So, Morty Smith… I don't dislike his character at all, R &M's writers have written some interesting things with him. _  
>  _
> 
>  
> 
> _  
> _But._  
>  _
> 
>  
> 
> _  
> _I don't think he'd get along with our boys, he's seen too many terrible things (and the memory wipes are definitely not enough), plus his grandfather doesn't really help. He'd be too jaded to have a good relationship with Stanford, the Pines twins and arguably with Stan as well. So they've met before, obviously. How? Maybe it was thanks to/because of Rick or Stanford, maybe they went on an adventure together, maybe it went poorly… I don't know, Choose whichever explanation you want, I'm not writing a prequel fic about how Morty came to hate Mabel and Dipper and vice-versa._  
>  _
> 
> Ask me stuff on Curious Cat [here](https://curiouscat.me/HueRambles) if you feel like it!
> 
> Also, there's that Tumblr thingy of mine somewhere[ there](https://algernoninwonderland.tumblr.com).
> 
>  
> 
> _  
> _I think I'm done rambling here… I'll see you in the next one!_  
>  _


	4. The Golden Arrow at last

“We should try to find Mabel and my brother,” Wirt mumbled.

 

”Yeah, we should… Do that, probably,” Dipper chuckled.

 

Neither of them moved an inch. The amusement park seemed so far away from them, the noise of machines and the crowds a mere echo drowned in the early summer breeze. Until a high-piercing scream disturbed the atmosphere. Wirt let go of Dipper’s hands almost instantly and started looking around frantically.

 

“Oh god, oh fuck, is Greg up there? How is he even allowed to be in that thing?” Wirt yelled

 

Dipper burst out in laughter. Greg and Mabel were indeed riding the front car of the Golden Arrow, and as the rollercoaster rushed down one of its steepest slopes, Greg screamed once again, accompanied by Mabel. Neither of them seemed to be in great danger at all.

 

“Let’s join them!” Dipper said. “Or at least let’s wait for them, if you don’t want to actually be in that thing.”

 

“I’d like to, I really do, just not the front car if you don’t mind,” Wirt replied, not looking at Dipper’s face as he grasped the other boy’s hand.

 

Soon enough, Mabel and Greg walked out of the roller coaster’s car. They looked exhilarated to say the least, and Mabel’s hair was a complete mess. Surprisingly, Mabel didn’t call Dipper “turtledove” or any of the pet names he had expected, and Greg didn’t seem to care much about his brother either. Had he been bribed with candy? He didn’t want to know. 

 

Either way, the queue was a long wait, but it didn’t discourage them. They even lost track of time. Dipper put his cap in a locker — he didn’t want to see if it could remain on his head for the entirety of the ride— and sat alongside Wirt in a car a few seats away from Mabel and Greg’s. 

 

The rollercoaster’s theme song blared out of bulky speakers, some sort of kitschy synthwave soup. The Golden Arrow truly deserved its uninspired name, it was certainly golden and arrow shaped, a faux-retro rollercoaster with the latest technology to make sure that even children like Greg could enjoy the ride. It felt quite safe, though once they had taken their seats, the passengers, no matter how tall, couldn’t touch the ground with their feet.

 

Wirt glanced at Dipper worriedly but the other boy didn’t seem tense at all. He was even humming to himself. Slowly, the Golden Arrow started rolling upwards at an excruciatingly slow pace. The cars were too big for anyone  to see the railway tracks underneath the lift hill. The Golden Arrow gained height; slowly but surely, they could see the entire park from up there.

 

Wirt’s sense of dread vanished a little when Dipper started pointing at the various places they had been during the day and made a great impression of a certain British naturalist. And then Dipper fell silent, his grin grew wider. The Golden Arrow was slowing down. It remained almost still on top of the railing. Wirt’s stomach sunk.

 

The Golden Arrow went down the vertiginous slope in the blink of an eye, then up and down again with a sharp turn. Depending on who you asked, it was the best or the worst thing ever. Wirt was completely rigid, clinging to the over-the-shoulder restraints the best he could. Mabel, Dipper and Greg, on the other hand, threw their arms in the air. 

 

It was extremely scary but the adrenaline rush made it a surreal experience, one that Wirt truly enjoyed. He wouldn’t be able to do the same as the young man next to him but he didn’t feel nearly as bad as he had expected when the Golden Arrow suddenly dived. He still felt a bit crushed for sure, because of the speech, but it was bearable. At least it was until the cursed thing made a series of three loops. And Wirt let out an undignified screech.

 

After a couple more skips and sharp turns, the Golden Arrow slowed down, and at last stopped in front of a platform for its passengers to leave. Dipper got up from his seat dazedly, Wirt did the same, using the slightly slightly smaller boy as a clutch — not that the boy in question minded. 

 

“That was awesome,” Dipper said the moment Greg and Mabel joined them. “Let’s do it again!”

 

And so they did. Once. Then twice. And even a third time. Mabel even found a way to skip the line though the foursome did so reluctantly. It was completely worth it, though. Dipper wasn’t quite sure, but he believed he had even caught Wirt putting his arms in the air on a particularly steep slope. They were getting off their respective cars when Dipper remembered that they would have to get home sometime soon, and judging by the light…

 

“We have…” He glanced at his wristwatch. He paled visibly. “You guys have about eight minutes left to catch your bus, then we wait an seven minutes before our bus gets there… We gotta run.”

 

And run they did, they crossed the park in the blink of an eye, dodging weird mascots and cohorts of children as if they weren’t there. They were back at the entrance of the park, the parking lot stretching out before their eyes. Here were their buses. They weren’t late. 

 

“So… Thanks for coming, we should do that more often, hanging out together, that is,”  Dipper said, “have a safe ride home?”

 

Greg gave Mabel and Dipper a hug and hopped on the bus after his brother handed him his ticked. Wirt said nothing. Dipper found himself at loss for words. How were you supposed to end a date you enjoyed? Mabel found the answer for him and pulled Dipper in Wirt’s direction with a soft shove. 

 

Dipper almost stumbled but Wirt caught him by the shoulders before gravity could do its work. They locked eyes. Their hears skipped a beat in unison. The world froze for an instant. They had come to the same conclusion. Wirt leaned in, Dipper mirrored his move and—

 

“Ouch, that’s my nose, dummy!”

 

“I’m sorry… Can we… Can we try this again?”

 

Dipper’s hand found Wirt’s cheek like he had seen it in so many movies Mabel had forced him to watch, while Wirt didn’t quite know what to do with his hands. But none of that mattered when their eyes closed slowly. They leaned in again, and this time their lips met softly. 

 

It wasn’t the perfect kiss. When they’d look back on the moment a few years later, they’d laugh about their mutual awkwardness. But for now, it was sweet, a little clumsy perhaps but sweet nonetheless.

 

“I… Wow…” Wirt mumbled

 

“Yeah, wow… Your bus!”

 

“Oh, hum, yes, sure thing…”

 

And with that, Dipper fake-pushed his now-boyfriend towards the bus door. Greg had saved a seat for him.

 

“You phone me when you’re home OK?”

 

“Will do, I swear!”

 

“See you, pardners!” Greg said loudly enough so that Mabel could  hear him. 

 

And with that, the bus’s door slammed shut. Dipper could not take his eyes off the bus as it drove away with Wirt and his brother waving at him until the bus disappeared from his field of vision completely. That tingling feeling had not left his lips. Hesitantly, he touched them. Oh, that boy… He felt like a naive, wide-eyed character in a  romantic book. And quite honestly, he didn’t mind.

 

He had kissed Wirt. 

Wirt and he had kissed. 

Dipper Pines had just kissed his boyfriend. 

They had really done that. That was insane. That was amazing. His grin grew wider.

 

“Bro-bro, are you alright? I haven’t seen you like that in… Ages.” Mabel’s voice was teasing. 

 

“I… Uh… Brain melt… I mean—”

 

“I know, I know.”

 

“Can I just… Take five and try to process it?”

 

“No prob, Bob!”

 

In the end, Mabel all but dragged her twin brother to the bus with a knowing smile. They’d discuss all of that later, for now it was just wholesome and a bit funny to see him like that. And so, Dipper didn’t even care that her sister had taken the window seat this time.

 

Dipper didn’t bother checking his phone during the ride back home. Wirt was carsick, there was no way he’d do anything that could make his boyfriend sick just because if a text. Besides, he wasn’t quite sure what to text him first. 

 

He tried to look over Mabel’s shoulder — the landscape was slowly turning darker as the sun went down— but to no avail. She was fast asleep and he wouldn’t bother her, just this once. 

 

He’d really have to thank his sister for stealing his phone and texting his crush to ask him on a date when he himself couldn’t find the right words. They’d have to do this more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's a wrap!
> 
> Mabel grew up quite a bit since "The Love God", wouldn't you say?   
> Also, Dipper trying to show off his imitation skills he got from his mum was something I wanted to show. To me, aged-up Pinescone should feature characters who evolved since the end of canon (unless you justify this in your text of course).   
> So my interpretation of Dipper makes him somewhat less of a worry wart once he gets to do things, after all these adventures rollercoasters aren't really frightening for him. He's way more relaxed than our favourite poet and clarinettist, at least. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me until the very end, I hope you enjoyed the ride! I might write some other things featuring these two dorks if I ever feel like it.
> 
>  
> 
> As always, my Curious Cat is[here](https://curiouscat.me/HueRambles) if you feel like asking me stuff.
> 
> Also, there's that Tumblr thingy of mine somewhere[ there](https://algernoninwonderland.tumblr.com), where I try to keep you updated on my progress and the likes of it.
> 
> … Voilà!


End file.
